The annual Friends for Haiti benefit held Saturday in Duxbury was part of the Island Creek Foundation’s efforts to restore Haiti’s tilapia farming industry, which was damaged last month by Hurricane Isaac.

“Our goal was $100,000 and we should be within spitting distance of that goal,” said Island Creek Oysters Vice President Chris Sherman.

Most of the money will go to building stronger cages for the Lake Azeui fish farm and helping more families enter the business, Sherman said. The hurricane destroyed cages at the farm.

For the second year, the Island Creek Oysters Foundation hosted Friends for Haiti and the Caribbean Harvest Foundation. Caribbean Harvest founder Valentin Abe thanked those gathered under the tents at Duxbury Beach for helping the people of Haiti with their fish farming efforts.

Island Creek Oysters founder Skip Bennett introduced Abe with a hug and laughter to loud applause. Abe said the theme for the evening is people helping people as part of a team.

“This evening we are trying to raise money to put people to work,” he said. “This is not a handout. This is to put people, the people of Haiti, to work, and by doing so we allow them to send their kids to school. We provide them with means to have better health and to care for their family.”

Gregory said the foundation is grounded in the belief that a business should use its resources to make a difference.

“It is our hope that with all of your support, we can continue to make a difference, leveraging our resources, our knowledge of aquaculture to make a difference for people who really, really need it,” he said.